Now reading...
#Pokéartforenvironment marks a call to action!

  • Noblejanobii


    The Pokémon community is taking a stand.

    We begin this article with a content warning. The art you see today may be disturbing to some readers, as it depicts many of our beloved Pokémon companions in new forms impacted by climate change. However, even if you choose to not proceed further, please consider donating to the Australian Bushfire Relief, as the original purpose of this trend was to raise awareness for this cause.

    The purpose of today’s art feature is to bring awareness to this trend and the many artists that are participating in it. While it is impossible for us to cover all the many great contributors to the #Pokéartforenvironment trend, we thank all of you for putting forth the effort to raise awareness for this cause. No matter what negative comments and backlash you may receive, you have done a great thing by helping raise awareness.

    As previously stated, #Pokéartforenvironment is a trend that was started to raise awareness about the Australian Bushfires as well as climate change as a whole. Likely taking inspiration from James Turner’s Galarian Corsola and Cursola, popular Pokémon fan artist, _elite.4_, started the trend by giving a call to action for artists to design Pokémon in forms impacted by climate change. You can see the original post below.


    _elite.4_ also designed two forms to kick off the trend. The first is a water/poison type Cramorant that, due to the oceans around Galar become heavily polluted, is forced to eat garbage and Trubbish. Its wings have become so coated with oil that it has also lost its ability to fly. The second is a Fire/Ghost type Komola, who refuses to let go of its special log due to their great attachment to it from birth.

    From there, many other famous artists began to contribute to the trend.


    Pokejay_mon decided to address this trend by referencing the trials many real world polar bears face. Due to the ice caps melting, they have to fight for food to survive, with many starving to death each year. Poor Beartic here has become a fighting type as a result of its constant need to fight to survive. They also did a depiction of Torterra as well, addressing the topic of too much lumbering.


    Starttboii decided to address the topic through the angle of Eevee’s unstable DNA. This artist, famous for their Pokémon fanart including Latin American inspired Pokémon designs, redesigned all of Eevee’s evolutions to address different aspects of climate change. Flareon and Vaporeon have become part poison type due to air and water pollution. Jolteon has gained the psychic type due to electromagnetic pollution while Espeon becomes part fire type due to the depletion of the Ozone layer. Umbreon has lost its beautiful rings and gone blind due to light pollution while Sylveon loses its happy demeanor as a reference to the increasing rates of depression around the world. Finally, the increasing temperatures have caused both Leafeon and Glaceon to burn up, reducing one to ash and causing the other to melt.


    One of our own artists on PXR also decided to address the topic, turning her favorite Pokémon into a victim of pollution. NobleJanobii took inspiration from the entries that detailed how Shaymin purifies the pollution around it and designed a Shaymin who has absorbed too much pollution. It has now lost its ability to purify the air around it and its tears are now made of excess oil coming from its body.


    Another famous Pokémon fan artist, Cal_wakerz designed several Pokémon impacted by climate change. In addition to Seel, they also designed a Flabébé variant as well as a new Pokémon called Minerode. Seel and Flabébé represent the harm from over pollution, with both now bearing plastic as part of their designs that harm them and the world around them, while Minerode represents the horrors of illegal mining that devastates the environment in many countries like Venezuela.


    A smaller fanartist, Doragonrayen also takes a stab at redesigning a legendary Pokémon known for its purification properties. In this case, Suicune has become corrupted by the pollution in Johto and has become extremely aggressive as a result, spreading the pollution wherever it goes. This terrifying poison/dark type is made even more horrifying when you remember that Suicune’s purification properties are cited as some of the most powerful in the Pokémon world.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    Made my own version because I loved the idea @_elite.4_ had of cramorant and I wanted to join the #pokeartforenviroment

    A post shared by Spookchum (@spookchum) on


    Taking inspiration from _elite.4_’s Cramorant design, popular artist and 3D modeler Spookchum also made a Cramorant design impacted by the rampant waste in Galar’s oceans. Bringing the Pokémon to life in a 3D model like this drives the point home even further, showing what an actual photo of these poor Pokémon might actually look like in a world with climate change.


    The author of the comic Baphy_la_cabra_malvada also joined the trend by creating a depiction of a Rhyhorn are having its horn trafficked. The descrption says that without its horn to defend itself, it erroded away, becoming a ghost.


    Popular Italian fan artist BadaFra decided to depict Kangaskhan in a new light, similar to the ghostly Marowak mother from Kanto. The other Kangaskhan have died in the rampant bushfires, leaving the babies with only a Pokédoll in their place. However, it appears the mothers loved their children so much, their spirits have possessed the Pokédolls, turning them into ghost types.


    Chilian fan artist Chartias15 decided to address the angle of overhunting and give the Persian line yet another alternate form. This time, the Persian population has been hunted into near extension, but their angry spirits live on as ghost types. As Persian is partially inspired by pumas, this is a very direct reference to the overhunting this species, and other big cats, have endured for years.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    *Reuploaded because I accidentally deleted it ?* Castform Form Part 1/5 #pokéartforenvironment Due to global warming, hazardous weather has increased, causing more deaths and causing millions of dollars in damages. Widespread Flooding is on the rise due to global warming, causing widespread power outages, and many people to go without power for days if not weeks, as well as many drownings. • Rainstorms have become more common in some areas, and when a lone Castform finds itself surrounded by Rainy Forms, it will mutate with them and become a cyclone of torrential rain. Due to the damage it causes due to flooding areas humans and Pokémon reside, it feels endless guilt, even thought it’s not its fault. • • #pokemon #fakepokemon #castform #weather #concept #art #weather #instagood #instadaily #flying #water #electric #thunder #thunderstorm #flood #flashflood

    A post shared by The Mad Man (@mic.the.mad.man) on


    Mic.the.mad.man went above and beyond this trend, designing five forms of Castform as it has to try and deal with the wild climate changes around it. These new forms include the Flash flood, Heatwave, Blizzard, Acid Rain, and Thunderstorm. Castform experiences a wide array of emotions in these different forms, but notably none of them are happy. It is being tortured as its forced to adapt to its drastically changing environments. But Castform isn’t the only Pokémon that Mic.the.mad.man drew. He also drew Bergmite and the Tirtouga line also impacted by melting ice caps and water pollution.


    Our last artist for this article is another popular fan artist, Rad_or_raven. The creator of the Monera region makes a statement about the dangers of oil, showing an Onix who has been greatly harmed by the exploitation of the lands it burrows through.

    While we realize this can be tough to look at, we greatly encourage you to look through #Pokéartforenvironment on Twitter and Instagram to support all the artist contributing to this trend. In addition, please consider contributing yourself, either by making your own art, or by donating to the Australian Bushfire Relief. Any efforts to spread awareness greatly help the cause.


  •   Posted in: Art

    Ongoing Conversation